NEW ORLEANS — There’s not a working stiff out there who doesn’t occasionally need reinforcement for a job well done.

Don “Wink” Martindale received affirmation this year as the Baltimore Ravens’ inside linebackers coach. He has become Ray Lewis’ final position coach.

“Ray always tells me God has perfect timing, and he’s right,” Martindale said Tuesday at the Super Bowl media day just off the playing surface of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. “Everything works out for a reason. We really enjoyed our time there in Denver, but this has been a great place for us.”

Although Lewis’ career has not been without controversy, he is expected to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer five years after Super Bowl XLVII is played Sunday.

“This gets used and overused, but it’s the truth: He approaches every day like he’s a rookie,” Martindale said. “He’s still taking notes in meetings.”

Martindale chose to be a football coach for a living, and he has covered the gamut, from high school to small college to big college to the NFL.

He earned his big break in 2010 when he was promoted to Broncos’ defensive coordinator by head coach Josh McDaniels. Before he could call his first game, NFL sack champion Elvis Dumervil suffered a a season-ending torn pectoral muscle. Standout safety Brian Dawkins was in and out of the lineup with various injuries. Von Miller was still a senior at Texas A&M.

Still, Martindale never blamed his lack of talent. When McDaniels was fired, most of his assistants were swept out, too.

Martindale did not coach last season, but he got back in a year ago this week with the Ravens. When Baltimore played Martindale’s former Broncos in December, his two starting inside linebackers, Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe, were injured. The Ravens lost.

When the Ravens played a rematch against the Broncos on Jan. 12, Lewis and Ellerbe were back. The Ravens won.

“Denver’s a really good football team. They really are,” Martindale said. “John Elway and John Fox did a great job of putting together a great roster. Their defense has really changed.”

How so?

“Youth, and Von Miller,” Martindale said. “When you have two good pass rushers, everything else gets covered up. Now, you take that and add in a Hall of Fame corner (Champ Bailey), those guys are set up well.”

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.